Contra Costa Times Missing Sunday Coupon Insert – Is this happening to you too?

Are you no longer getting coupons/inserts in your Contra Costa Times Sunday paper? I’ve head from MANY of you that this is the case and it’s not only on papers that are delivered, but on news stand papers too. Let’s discuss this…please let me know if this is happening to you. Does the front of the paper say that coupons are inside?

I have a great contact at CBS 5 News in San Francisco (Julie Watts) and she would love to investigate this further, but we need a few of you to help her with information via email. If you are willing to allow me to pass your email address on to her just put your email address in the comment section below as you normally would and let me know if I can forward your info on. Only I can see your email address, so you can remain anonymous here on TFF.

Comments

Thanks for inquiring about this. I thought I was loosing my mind when the inserts weren’t in the papers that I purchased from the news stand. The front of the paper does state that there are coupons inside but no inserts. This has happened to me 2 weeks in a row. I thought about returning the newspapers but didn’t want to deal with the store thinking I had taken the inserts and was trying to return the newspapers. I sure hope this does get figured out. In the meantime, I will stick to purchasing the Chronicle even if they are $2 more per.

I never looked to see if it says there are coupons inside, I just always assumed there was. I buy news papers off the stand and the last few times there have been NO coupons. This past sunday, I didn’t even get a Walgreens circular. I’m very disappointed. I wasted $2 dollars.

That is so funny you bring this up. I am a Sunday paper coupon fanatic and 2 weeks ago I moved to Contra Costa County from Alameda County. The Contra Costa Times is the local paper and have noticed that the last 2 Sundays, there were NO coupon inserts and yes, it said on the paper that coupons were inside. I thought that was normal and I was going to have subscribe to another paper.

Thank you for passing the information on to your friend at CBS5. I have been missing the coupon inserts in my Contra Costa Times for 2 weeks in a row & it is really frustrating. I usually look through the paper & check for inserts before I buy them, but I have been in a hurry the last few weeks & later find myself without coupon inserts. I have also considered trying to return the papers, since I only bought them for the inserts, but didn’t want to go through the hassle of them questioning whether I took them out before bringing them back. You are more than welcome to pass along my e-mail address to your friend, I would love to help her with any information I can provide so she can look into this further. Thanks again for bringing this to her attention.

Just my 2 cents… For home subscription, I would definitely call and ask to be refunded. I have made it clear to my newspaper that we buy the Sunday paper for the coupons. If the paper states that it contains coupons and it doesn’t, it is false advertising. Whether it is theft or Contra Costa Times cutting corners, the consumer has every right to return a product that was not delivered as promised.

They have to have something going on the paper’s end. I used to work for this newspaper company and did my share of stuffing inserts! So, I know that it can possibly just be someone’s laziness, or worse, someone frauding them! But it definitely needs to be resolved!

i don’t know if you have any pull at the reno gazette journal, but they also don’t include them in the out of town papers. when i inquire, i’m told its a matter of demographics, which doesn’t explain why sometimes there are, sometimes there aren’t. at $3.00 buck a pop for them, you would think they could at least put in the inserts that they advertise on the front page !!!!

I usually buy my CC Times at my local 7-11, the last 3 weeks or so I’ve bought the paper but no coupon inserts, only ads. The SF Chronicle has been gone so, I haven’t been able to see if there are coupons in them. I normally check before I buy … the first time I thought it was a flook but this last Sunday was the 3rd time. Very disappointed.

This happened to me yesterday. I sent my husband over to Lucky (in Concord) to pick up two Contra Costa Times papers, and there were no coupon inserts! I would be more than happy to talk to Julie Watts. You have my permission to forward her my contact information.

I hope something gets done about this. It sounds like a lot of us are getting ripped off.

Julia, THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting this! I am going on another week of NO coupons in the times. I’ve went to 6 different cities over the last few weeks and still have not gotten ANY coupons from the times. I’ve bought them from 7-11’s, newspaper racks, and various other places. It’s to the point where I go and look in every single paper where ever I go and I find NO coupons. Last week they advertised “inside $150 in coupon savings” this week was $55 dollars in coupon savings.” I’ve posted on your page a few times in the last few weeks. Please pass on my info to CBS5, I’d be willing to give feedback. Thank you again

I don’t get the CC Times, but the same thing has happened to me for the last 4 weeks with the Yes, Your Essential Shopper, a supplement from the SJ Mercury. I get it just for the coupons and have emailed each week, but nothing. I also get the Chronicle and that has the coupons.

I have emailed you before about this so yes please forward my email:) The Chronicle is so expensive so the last month I havent purchased as many papers so Im getting less coupons:(
thanks for your help

This last Sunday I got some Daily Review papers (San Leandro/Hayward area) and there were no coupons inside. It said $127 (I think this was the amount) worth of coupons on the front of the paper!! I got some others the same day and they did have coupons.. Feeling ripped off because I paid for all the newspapers specifically for the coupons!!

I am glad I am not the only one! I have not been able to find the inserts in any of the Contra Costa Times for 3 Sunday’s in a row, however they are in the Chronicle and Times Herald! Very frustrating. I wonder why this is! Yes, my paper indicated there were coupons inside, however they was not!

I am having a problem for the last month and a half with the Daily Republic, Fairfield, CA. I am only getting Red Plum delivered. I called the paper about not getting a smart source and they just took my name and number and someone would get back to me. I get the Sunday only Sacramento Bee and no problems there. I actually increased my Sacramento Bee by one to make up for the lack of one in Daily Republic. I am probably going to stop subscribing to the Daily Republic because of it.

Same problem with The Herald in Monterey County. About 2 years ago I was told that I didnt get certain inserts (Red Plum and store ads) due to my zip code (15 miles away from 93940). So I would get them from my mother ONE mile away from me but in a different zip. 6 months ago I was told that the “carrier had to request and insert the coupon inserts” (his fault). For about 6 months I was getting all 3 coupon inserts most of the time. Have been missing all Sunday coupon inserts for 1-2 months now so finally called The Herald this week and I was told that Smart Source supplier “ended” and they were trying to contract another supplier(? what?).
Also, related:
… The coupon selection and requirement to buy multiple items has been a big damper too …
I strongly believe that more and more obstacles, from store loyalty cards to less good coupons to large price jumps and downsized packages etc. etc., are biting the hand that feeds them. (For example, I now use cheapy laundry wash and patronize Grocery Outlet, 99c and others more frequently.)

I also have been trying to find a local paper in stores that have the coupon insert in Monterey Hearld and Salinas Californian since the third week of Dec 2012 I have seen none! If anyone is still working the story, you may forward my comment and email. Thank you Julia!

I didn’t get any coupon inserts in the San Mateo Times and SJ Mercury in the last 2 weeks. Also I get the SF Examiner from the machines but for the last couple of months the SF Examiner has been missing the Smart Source and P&G it has been getting the Red Plum, I have been at the machines when the paper gets delivered and no one is taking them out then, I am wondering if, the ones that are suppose to put them in are keeping them. The SF Examiner is also delivered to the house and that paper has all the inserts, I am just wondering what is happening with the ones that are in the machines. I have called the SF Examiner many times but no will return my calls.

An error in scheduling caused the newsstand copies of the Times to be without coupon inserts on a couple recent Sundays. That problem has been corrected and you should have found quite a few coupon inserts in this past Sunday’s paper. If you purchased a paper without inserts and would like a refund, please contact our office (925-302-1710) and we will take care of your request. We are pleased that so many shoppers take advantage of the money-saving coupons in the Times and are very sorry for the inconvenience this problem may have caused you.

Sunday paper 11/18 I had one coupon page Smart Source and on the front of the paper said $323 worth of coupons. I contact CS they said should had got 3, got call 4 hours later saying that there was only 1. I call the local office the number posted here the supervisor said coupons are deliver according to your zip code. So someone may or may not get them all. Ask why can they advertise that there more coupons then there is and why is it fair that some city get more coupons then others and paying ths same price she said its up to the advertiser whant coupons go in what zip code. I get the Sunday paper deliver and online week days and have brought the paper in the rack and have got the same coupons.

Verna,
Please contact me directly at mswitzer@bayareanewsgroup.com and we can determine what caused you to not receive all of the insert packages and see if there is a problem that needs to be corrected.
For clarification, it is true that the advertisers (Red Plum, Proctor and Gamble, etc.) are the ones who determine where their coupons should be delivered. They are able to target specific zip codes. While we would of course prefer to have full distribution of all advertising supplements, the decision is always the advertiser’s.
Having said that, most coupon advertisers choose to reach the broadest audience possible, and I’d like to work with you to make certain that you are receiving all of the supplements that were intended.
Thank you for your support of our local newspaper.

San Francisco – For example, last Sunday I went to collect the Sunday free edition of The Examiner. I went to the first stand on California and Polk Sts. There were copies of the Sunday (which are free to all) edition and the paper was inside but every paper had the coupons removed. There were at least 20 papers and each and every one had the coupons removed and stolen. I finally went within a 10 block radius looking for the free edition w/coupons and each and every stand the coupons were removed. Someone at Walgreens in the area told me that a certain group of people are taking them at 6am. The Walgreens employee told when they ae on there way to work they see the culprits who are raiding the stands and the coupons. This is horrible and something should be done about it. Does anyone have the answer? Perhaps I will have to wake up at 4am and try” to get the complete edition. HELP!!!!!! How can we resolve this epidemic ! YES it is that bad in San Francisco

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[…] 5) – Readers of the Contra Costa Times and other East Bay newspapers who missed their coupon supplements the last few Sundays can call the newspaper’s parent company, and get a refund equal to the cost of the […]

[…] UPDATE: please try this phone number 925-302-1615Well it looks like the fuss we made about the missing coupon inserts paid off, CBS 5 did a few interviews with our readers and our blog post got the attention of the […]

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